1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ski boots and more particularly relates to devices which are attached to ski boots to hold down the foot of the skier in the boot and to close the boot on the leg of the skier.
2. Description of Background Information
Ski boots using hooks for closing the boot on the lower leg of the skier and for holding the foot of the boot are known in the art. In these types of boots the hooks are spaced apart on the top of the foot and on the front of the lower leg. To obtain the desired amount of force for holding down the foot in the boot one adjusts the corresponding hooks by changing their respective positions. Although these types of boots distribute the forces relatively well between the lower leg, and the foot, the manipulation of the hooks is time consuming and difficult. In addition, these types of boots are difficult to adjust, they are costly to produce, and the hooks protrude from the top of the boot thus producing the risk that the hooks will snag while skiing.
Other types of boots replace the hooks for holding down the foot with a cable system adapted to be put under pressure by a device that can be hidden in the back of the boot above the heel. In this type of boot the foot enters the boot from the rear and the closing of the upper of the boot on the lower leg is obtained by means of another hold down device having one hook. As a result, the adjustment of the holding down of the foot and the closing of the upper on the lower leg is simplified because the skier only manipulates two maneuvering parts. Nevertheless, each maneuvering part must be equipped with a specific adjusting device which increases the number of parts to be manipulated, thereby increasing the cost of the boot which is always excessively high.
This problem of an excessive number of manipulation elements has been solved by German Patent No. 25 23 744 which discloses a ski boot having a single means for holding down the foot and closing the upper on the lower leg. However, although the closing device described in this patent permits the simultaneous holding down of the foot and the closing of the upper on the lower leg of the skier, it does so by using a complex arrangement of elements which is costly to produce.
Thus, there is a need for a means for holding down the foot and closing the upper on skier's lower leg that is simple in construction and which causes these two actions to occur by the manipulation of one element. Further, there is a need for a ski boot that holds down the foot of the skier in response to closing of the upper on the lower leg, and which closes the upper on the lower leg of the skier in response to holding the foot down in the boot.